Philosophy

Niamhf

Right....I'm finding Philosophy really confusing!!! Any study tips??? I don't want to fail first year on Philosophy as it was my "fill up the fourth space" subject"!!
Thanks!

Niamhf

Right...I have given up...Plato, Aristotle, Descartes and Nietzsche...just go and feck off!!!

loveissucide

Regurgitate the lecture notes.It'll get you though,

Ruire

Yes, because, as we all know, Philosophy requires no individual original thought. Besides, Kant dunnit all.

Niamhf

They told us not to!! I'm one for learning things off by heart and putting them back down on a page...the leaving cert method!! I just can't make my own opinions on philosophy...i don't know why!!!

loveissucide

Ruire wrote: »

Yes, because, as we all know, Philosophy requires no individual original thought. Besides, Kant dunnit all.

Not in First Year Arts, and yes.
Don't be like the guy who spent the year on the piss, and wrote a deranged right-wing response when asked about JJ Thomson's views on abortion,which made it clear he'd never read the article.Dr Mahon took a lot of pleasure in reading that one out to humiliate his expelled ass.

Ruire

Niamhf wrote: »

They told us not to!! I'm one for learning things off by heart and putting them back down on a page...the leaving cert method!! I just can't make my own opinions on philosophy...i don't know why!!!

If you want to get a First Honours, work really hard on your critical technique. However, to get through First Year, just really know your stuff and be able to show you did at least some extra reading. It's the same for most First Arts subjects, I believe.

nievus89

Ha by the sounds of it, you have already done more than required to pass first year philosophy and if you do end up doin it for the next 2 years you ll be grand. Im guessing you`ve done all the essays and for the exams all you need is to summarize their views (google is your friend and the stanford dict of philosophy) and then a short paragraph saying if you agree or not and blah blah blah. Don`t listen to the lecturers, if you can learn off the notes and write them down, they`re not goin to fail you!

Niamhf

Well....I'm actually going to take a risk and study just Plato and Descartes...judging by the past papers there has always been at least 2 questions on both so hopefully it will be the same this year...if not I'll be repeating in May!! I have been attending the tutorials (God knows they are there for a very good reason!!) and I have handed up the essay!!

Ruire

You went to your tutorials and handed up your essay? Well, you're already doing better than the vast majority of Freshers.

loveissucide

You actually went?I got a 2:1 having been to 3 lectures in first semester.

Out of curiousity, are the freshers this year the shower of pissheads they were last year?Have seen very little of them.

Niamhf

By pissheads I'm assuming you mean the crowd that hardly turn up to lectures because of hangovers and the like...well yeah!! Philosophy at 9am on a Friday proves a struggle for many!
I started off really well and went to everything until November..then I kinda got sick of philosophy and made an appearance once every so often until exams! I took a chance with the exam and studied just Descartes and Plato..luckily both came up!! I wrote 7 pages of carefully planned BS!! Let's hope I'll pass!!

alcopop

I did philosophy in first year...I'd say I went to about eight lectures in total, and what a load of aul malarky it was although I got the grand total of 87 percent (wooohoo!)! As far as I remember, the summer paper is something ridiculous like 30 questions, answer 3. Its literally every single topic done during the year and write about it. I think I did abortion and euthanasia, not sure about the other one. I was told it was the same the previous years, but since then I dont know anyone else who took philosophy.
Instead of my ramblings, this is a definate fact; just be sure to read your lecture notes. If you do secondary reading, thats brilliant, an extra bonus! But most of it, to be honest, is pure common sense in regards to what you'll be studying in Sem2. Philosophy is all about argument. You know the basics of whats going on, who said what, then KABAM whack in with our own opinions. With the theorists, Plato, Descartes and Neitzsche are definates, but then again you've finished them by now I'd say and have moved onto ethics. By the way - there were theories about a bling man regaining sight and having a chart of all the shades of blue- one is missing - can he identify it. I cant remember the "correct" answer to that...I just remember arguing my ass off about that and some theory about wax...hmmm!!

Niamhf

Forgot to update this! I got 61!!! Whoop!!
Failed English though....oh well....lets go drinking and forget about it until May!

Carsinian Thau

Niamhf wrote: »

Forgot to update this! I got 61!!! Whoop!!
Failed English though....oh well....lets go drinking and forget about it until May!

Niamhf

Turns out that I didn't fail English after all!!
Went to see the English dept. today as I was fairly surprised that I failed the paper. The year head took a look at my results and noticed that I got 61 in my drama paper and only 5 in my poetry paper, giving me 33%. She said that 5 in poetry indicates that I handed up a paper with only my name on it (nice to know that your name is worth 5% =P)...well, I actually handed up a full answer booklet with answers!! She went down to the store room and got my paper for me, turns out I actually got 70%!!! Big difference!!!

No repeats for me so!!!
Poor woman couldn't stop apologizing to me!! Funny day!

WesternNight

Niamhf wrote: »

Turns out that I didn't fail English after all!!
Went to see the English dept. today as I was fairly surprised that I failed the paper. The year head took a look at my results and noticed that I got 61 in my drama paper and only 5 in my poetry paper, giving me 33%. She said that 5 in poetry indicates that I handed up a paper with only my name on it (nice to know that your name is worth 5% =P)...well, I actually handed up a full answer booklet with answers!! She went down to the store room and got my paper for me, turns out I actually got 70%!!! Big difference!!!

No repeats for me so!!!
Poor woman couldn't stop apologizing to me!! Funny day!

Wow, that's quite a mistake! Glad it turned out well in the end. Well done!

Carsinian Thau

Niamhf wrote: »

Turns out that I didn't fail English after all!!
Went to see the English dept. today as I was fairly surprised that I failed the paper. The year head took a look at my results and noticed that I got 61 in my drama paper and only 5 in my poetry paper, giving me 33%. She said that 5 in poetry indicates that I handed up a paper with only my name on it (nice to know that your name is worth 5% =P)...well, I actually handed up a full answer booklet with answers!! She went down to the store room and got my paper for me, turns out I actually got 70%!!! Big difference!!!

No repeats for me so!!!
Poor woman couldn't stop apologizing to me!! Funny day!

Thank Christ you checked the paper. That's one hell of a mistake.

I hope they would have picked it up even if you hadn't gone to see them...

Niamhf

I can't stop thinking about that! What if I never went...would they ever have noticed??